The Cindered

To be cindered is a gnawing, endless hunger that can never be sated. Consuming everyone you once love, everything you once care about, every hope and dream you once held will become nothing but ash and dust in your mouth.

— From the Ashinus book of teachings

To one of the Arshinus, their kindling is perhaps their most sacred act, and one that most Arshinus accept fully. However, not all Firesouls see it in the same way, some refuse to give up the gift of life, reluctant to make the pilgrimage back to the kindling site like the rest of their brethren. Unwilling to bequeath their sacred flame of life, knowing their death is nearing. The reasons can vary from fear of dying, unfinished business to selfish ambition, regardless, the outcome will always be the same. In order to preserve their own life and continue living they are driven to commit the most cardinal and unforgivable of act a Arshinus can commit. Killing another Arshinus and consuming the very flame that holds their life force, reigniting their own flame to prolong their fleeting existence a number of more years.
However, the consequences of such an abominable act become evident over time. The act of consuming another's flame makes them go mad over time, slowly transforming into abominations known as the Cindered. Craving more to prolong their life they hunt down and attempt to kill and consume the flame of more Arshinus, each time it becoming less and less effective at stoking their already waning existence. Some become so deluded they begin killing other living creature believing if they snuff out their life force it will ignite their flame also. They become erratic, their form breaking apart becoming a wild elemental fire, clinging on to its broken disfigured husk, hungering for the souls of the living until they meet their inevitable doom and burn out.
To the Arshinus, the Cindered are a perverse corruption, considered the greatest shame and failure of their people. Every Arshinus holds an inner shame for these abominations. As such, the very idea of one falling down this ruinous path is as greatly feared as the Cindered themselves. For the act of killing another Arshinus is their kinds most grievous crime, indoctrinated into them by Reishala herself, raised the question why a Arshinus would be inclined to descend down this accursed path?
The answer is mostly fear or a lust for power. The benefit of consuming another's essence is that you attain everything they once were, including their magical potential and prowess. Making a Cindered far more formidable than your average Arshinus, and the more essences they consume, the more deadly they will become. Despite the boundless potential this could offer, there are a number of major draw backs. For the more essence a Cindered confused, they begin to lose a sense of themselves, becoming disjoined and peculiar to their own mind. For as they consume the lifeforce of another Arshinus, subconsciously they gain all their wants, fears and memories too. The first instance, does not prove to be much of an issue to the Cindered, their dreams and thoughts may at times become strange and not their own but easily dismissive as if lost in thought. However, the more essences they consume the more this affliction begins to take hold as they begin to slowly losing their minds becoming alien to themselves, leaving nothing but a deranged and maddened husk of their fallen selves.

Type

Physiological

Origin

Magical

Rarity

Rare

Affected Species

• Arshinus